


moondance

by taelights



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Fluff, Ghosts, Humor, M/M, New Age Bookstores, Rating May Change, Shifter Changkyun, Wicca, Wiccan Jooheon, Witch Hyungwon, Witch Kihyun, but hyungwon is NOT a furry for dating him, he can turn into a black cat, side hyungkyun, side showkiho, some inaccuracies to real life wicca and witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-03-17 05:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13652685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taelights/pseuds/taelights
Summary: “I was trying to communicate with the dead, not fuck a ghost. Why would I need protection?”-Or, Minhyuk gets haunted and asks a Wiccan for help.





	1. the fool

**Author's Note:**

> this is the wiccan/pagan representation that literally no one asked for
> 
> btw all the chapter titles will be named after tarot cards and most of the time i will try to have the meaning of the card i picked relate to the chapter!!

“You know things about ghosts, right?” Minhyuk asked one afternoon as he sat down across from Hoseok after their shift at Blue Moon Bakery. The navy-blue plastic booth squeaking under his weight as he shifted to grab one of the bowls on the table. It was tradition for them whenever the two finished a shift to sit down together. They would often share whatever lunch Kihyun had been kind enough to make Hoseok that morning while baking pastries.

“Well, seeing as I’m a paranormal investigator, I would hope so,” Hoseok replied around a mouthful of rice. “Why’d you ask?”

“I am having some problems with ghosts in my house.”

“Bullshit, I know for a fact your apartment isn’t haunted,” Hoseok rolled his eyes before scooping more rice into his mouth. The elder was a self-proclaimed clairvoyant who was never wrong about the presence of a spirit. It was a gift that came in handy whenever he went on paranormal investigations for fun with his boyfriend Hyunwoo. But it also gave him the certainty to know, having step foot in his best friend’s apartment on numerous occasions, that Minhyuk’s home was not haunted.

“Well it might be now,” Minhyuk trailed off as he hoped that Hoseok wouldn’t judge him for what he was about to say. A part of him considered dropping the conversation altogether, however, after losing sleep the last three nights due to unexplained footsteps, scratches on his door, and lights flickering on and off he was in desperate need of some type of guidance.

“Oh god, what did you do?”

“Why do you think I did something?” Minhyuk questioned, offended. However, Hoseok did have the right assumption seeing as this haunting was most certainly his own fault.

“Because apartments just don’t become haunted suddenly without reason and you’re you, so you obviously did something,” Hoseok said placing his chopsticks down on the table, now fully engaged in knowing what stupidity his best friend had gotten himself into this time.

“You remember how over the weekend I bought a bunch of sweaters at a thrift shop?”

Hoseok hummed in response signalling that yes, he remembered very clearly that Minhyuk did indeed shop for sweaters over the weekend. It would be almost impossible for him to not know this fact, seeing as in typical Minhyuk fashion Hoseok’s messages had been spammed with about thirty selfies of him modelling different sweaters he had bought.

“Well I may or may not have impulse bought a Ouija Board I saw there also.”

“Minhyuk,” Hoseok started in a warning tone.

“Wait, hear me out. It was one of those cheap Hasbro Ouija Boards that are obviously fake and can’t do any harm.”

“Min, they may be made by a toy company, but those things are actually dangerous.”

“But hyung, it glowed in the dark,” Minhyuk whined, ”You know me, I’m a simple gay, I see something that glows in the dark and I’m fucking sold.”

Hoseok let out an exasperated sigh, glow-in-the-dark things had always been Minhyuk’s weakness. Throughout their childhood, over half of Minhyuk’s closet had always consisted of glow-in-the-dark t-shirts, socks, shoes, and hell even his backpack had been glow-in-the-dark. He had glow-in-the-dark keychains, headbands, and even those stars you would stick to your ceiling to form artificial constellations.

As an adult he continued to be obsessed with glow-in-the-dark things as he constantly added things to his collection. He would buy useless and obscure things just for the sole reason that they glowed. Even recently, much to Hoseok’s dismay, Minhyuk had gone so far as to buy a glow-in-the-dark dildo and condoms.

“I figured it would be a cool decoration to display in my room seeing as it matches the stars on my ceiling,” Minhyuk admitted knowing that Hoseok would think that reasoning was foolish. “Anyway, I took it out of the box when I got home and put it on my desk and it looked great. But later that night I kept hearing knocking noises before finally falling asleep.”

“Pretty common for spirits,” Hoseok hummed in acknowledgement. “Was it knocking in a pattern or anything? Because if there were sets of three knocks in a row that could be pretty concerning.”

“I don’t know. It was just fucking knocking and disturbing my sleep. I didn’t think to count how many knocks it did,” Minhyuk sighed before continuing with his story, “Anyway, the day after I kept having the desire to use the board, so I did.”

“And I assume you did that without proper protection?”

“I was trying to communicate with the dead, not fuck a ghost. Why would I need protection?”

“Oh my god.”

“Anyway, as I was saying, I got a few creepy messages before closing it and putting it back on my desk. Now I keep hearing footsteps, feeling like I’m being watched, and things keep moving by themselves.”

“Is the Ouija Board still in your room?”

“Yes,” Minhyuk admitted meekly.

“Well you are going to need to get rid of that and do a cleansing,” Hoseok said as he reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. “I don’t know much about cleansings seeing as Kihyun is the one that always does them for me and Hyunwoo so I’m going to text him and see what he suggests.”

It made sense to ask Kihyun. For a vague moment Minhyuk thought that maybe he should have gone to Kihyun instead of Hoseok, but on second thought no, out of his two best friends Hoseok was always the least judgemental of the two. However, being a witch, Kihyun would have the most extensive knowledge now that Minhyuk thought about it.

“Ki just texted back and he’s suggesting you go to a place called Honey’s Books. He says it’s a bit outside of town however he gets all his supplies for his craft there because it’s the best place around due to quality, price, and the amazing owner. The owner is apparently a very knowledgeable Wiccan who practices many forms of witchcraft, so he always knows the right ingredients for spells or solutions to problems, so he said to talk to him before you do anything, and you should be alright,” Hoseok explained as he looked up from his phone after sending a quick thank you text back to his boyfriend.

“Well thank you for your help. I’m going home to change and look up directions, so this Wiccan can teach me how to banish those spirits trying to leech off me. I mean if they helped me pay the rent I might be more understanding but keeping me up and not helping with monthly payments is unforgivable,” Minhyuk replied talking one more bite of the lunch before standing up to leave.

Normally, Minhyuk would stay longer to chat with Hoseok and finish off their meal. However, he knew he had to get to Honey’s Books before it got too late. Today he was determined not to have a fourth sleepless night this week.

☽◯☾

Honey’s Books was a quaint building a few miles outside the small town Minhyuk had always called home. While seemingly in the middle of nowhere, according to the internet Honey’s Books was a popular must shop place for any Witch. While it didn’t look like much, a simple Google search told Minhyuk that the store, as well as the owner, was well respected and highly praised within both the Wiccan and Witch communities. So much so that some reviews Minhyuk read had even been from witches who had travelled from other countries just to shop here.

Parking his car in the now mostly empty parking lot, the afternoon rush long over as it was approaching closing. Minhyuk walked past a garden full of flowers and herbs on his way to the main building of the property. Vaguely he could remember that the fresh hand grown ingredients were one of many things the store was praised for.

Quickly he reached the brick building that served as the store, the only other building on the property being a significantly smaller stone cottage that was the private residency of the owner. Opening the door caused a soft jingle of a bell to go off somewhere above Minhyuk’s head as he walked into the bookstore not knowing exactly what to expect.

The bookstore was filled with an array of different wooden shelves. The ones in the front mainly holding books but as Minhyuk walked further into the store towards the counter in the back he saw many of them held candles, stones, plants, and a variety of other trinkets as well. As he continued to make his way through the store he was overcome with the familiar aroma of rosemary, lavender, and thyme. Although Minhyuk felt out of his element within a magic shop, the scent gave him some sense of comfort as the shop smelled almost identical to Kihyun and Hoseok’s shared apartment.

No one seemed to be in the shop other than a single black kitten sleeping on the counter. Finally, a friendly face _._ Minhyuk thought going over to pet the cat. He always loved animals and while he did consider himself more of a dog person he never turned his nose up at the opportunity to pet a cat either.

However, placing a hand on the kitten’s back he was greeted with a loud hiss and a scratch to the hand. Immediately pulling away from the cat, Minhyuk nursed his throbbing hand as the voice of a young man reached his ears, “Kkungie doesn’t like being touched by strangers,” The brunette-haired man, Hyungwon, according to his name tag strolled over from the back room to carefully pick up the cat and place a tender kiss on the top of its head.

“Now, is there anything I can help you with today or did you just come in here to harass my kitten,” Hyungwon asked in what Minhyuk couldn’t tell if it was a joking tone or not, as he held Kkungie protectively to his chest.

“I’m looking for the owner. Lee Jooheon,” Minhyuk recalled from the additional information Kihyun had texted him after he left the bakery as well as his own research online.

“He’s busy with another customer at the moment but I can help you if you need anything.”

“While I’m not doubting your abilities because you seem perfectly capable, I would much rather see Jooheon seeing as that’s who Kihyun told me to talk to.”

“You know Kihyun?” Hyungwon asked curiously now seemingly interested in Minhyuk.

“Yes, he’s one of my best friends… You know Kihyun?”

“Of course. He’s a regular around here and a very talented witch. He’s a close friend with the three of us. I’m just surprised he would be so close to someone like you because, and I mean no offense, but you’re obviously not a magic user.”

“Neither are his boyfriends.”

“Touché. Well if you want to take a seat you are welcome to. Jooheon will probably be out soon,” Hyungwon said, gesturing to a brown leather armchair not too far from where Minhyuk was standing.

☽◯☾ 

Minhyuk was deeply engrossed in a book of Greek mythology when he heard a man clear his throat. “Hyungwon said that you wanted to see me?” a sweet, honey-like voice asked causing the blond to close the book on his lap and snap his head up to look at the source.

If Minhyuk needed one word to describe Lee Jooheon he would choose stunning. However, if you asked Minhyuk to give a more detailed description of the Wiccan he wouldn’t know even where to begin.

Maybe at his wavy black hair that looked as if it would be softer than silk if he was lucky enough to run a hand through it. Or, possibly he would choose the younger’s outfit choice of a black blazer over a black t-shirt with ripped black skinny jeans that hugged his curves in the most flattering way possible.

Perhaps he would even begin with the cuter qualities of the boy in front of him, like the dimples that were appearing on the other’s round face as his lips began forming a confused smile (as he was probably wondering why the elder was just staring at him blankly rather than saying a word).

“You were looking for me, right?” Jooheon asked, now unsure if he had the right customer. Hyungwon had said the customer that wanted to talk to him was a blonde non-magic user wearing a ridiculously oversized grey sweater which was a description that the man in front of him perfectly fit.

“Yes, I was. I’m Lee Minhyuk. My friend Kihyun told me to come here,” Minhyuk suddenly stood up, snapping out of his trance. In the back of his mind he made a mental note to definitely thank Kihyun for sending him to see Jooheon.

“It’s nice to meet you, as you know my name is Lee Jooheon,” the Wiccan officially introduced himself. “So, what can I help you with?”

“My apartment is haunted and Kihyun said I would need a cleansing,” Minhyuk said uncertainly.

“What kind of haunting is it?”

“The ghost kind?” Minhyuk replied not sure how to respond to that question. “All I know is something was probably attached to the spirit board I bought.”

“Do you still have the board?”

“Yep.”

“Well you are going to have to destroy the board and smudge your house to get rid of whatever negative entities that you brought in. I assume you don’t know how to do that either?” Jooheon asked. People who didn’t practice witchcraft of any kind usually wouldn’t have knowledge of either processes. However, he wanted to make sure seeing as someone friends with a powerful witch such as Kihyun may have some knowledge of the process.

“Nope,” Minhyuk confirmed that Jooheon was right and he was undeniably out of his element at the moment.

“Okay, well for the board you will need to break it into seven pieces and bury it somewhere. But make sure when you bury it, you bury the planchette separately,” Jooheon explained as he started walking through the store with Minhyuk trailing behind him. “For smudging the process is a bit more complicated so I’m going to give you a list of instructions to follow as well as a smudge stick to do the cleansing.”

As soon as the younger had finished explaining he stopped at a bookcase that held a variety of different bundles of herbs, flowers, and sticks. “Personally, I’d suggest this smudge stick. It’s a mixture of cedar and sage and it’s honestly my personal favourite,” Jooheon said picking up a light green one. “Also, if you want I can throw in a bowl and feather to use during the smudging ceremony. Neither are really necessary, but I always like to use them.”

Apparently Minhyuk had one more weakness besides glow-in-the-dark things, it was things suggested to him by cute boys. This weakness was obvious with the fact that Minhyuk quickly picked out the most expensive bowl and feather in the store upon Jooheon’s suggestion.

This same weakness was made even more apparent the moment Jooheon told him his total was thirty-eight dollars and all Minhyuk did was begrudgingly hand over a wad of cash rather than suggesting he put back the un-needed items and just purchase the four-dollar smudge stick instead.

“Are you sure you don’t need help with anything else today?” Jooheon asked in a hopeful tone after handing Minhyuk back his change. He didn’t wish to see the elder leave so soon. Out of every customer who walked through his doors Minhyuk was certainly the most interesting, after all it wasn’t everyday someone who didn’t practice magic strolled into the shop. Usually Honey’s Books clientele consisted of witches who had been practicing their whole lives. However, someone shopping here who didn’t practice any kind of magic themselves, was something Jooheon had never seen in all his five years of running the store.

“Not that I can think of,” Minhyuk replied with disappointment in his voice. He would love an excuse to talk to the Wiccan for longer however he had come here with one goal which was quickly accomplished.

“No girl troubles?”

Minhyuk let out an amused laugh, “Seeing as I’m gay, no.”

“Any boy troubles then?”

“Only that none of them seem to be interested in me.”

“That’s a shame because you seem like quite the catch,” Jooheon flirted now knowing that Minhyuk was not only attractive and single but also gay. “Anyway, thank you for shopping here at Honey’s Books, I hope to see you again soon?”

“Maybe so.”

“Well have a good rest of your night, Minhyuk.”

“You as well,” Minhyuk replied taking the bag from Jooheon’s hands and walking out the door. Walking back to his car all he could think of was Jooheon and how he didn’t want this to be the last meeting between the two of them.

However, right now he had more important matters to attend to than flirting with cute boys. He needed to destroy a spirit board and figure out how to smudge a house.

☽◯☾

“You need to be less obvious. You were practically drooling over that boy, hyung,” Changkyun interrupted Jooheon’s train of thought as he stared at the door Minhyuk had just minutes ago left though.

“Shut up. Shouldn’t you still be a cat right now?” Jooheon snapped back without any real bite to his words.

“The store closed fifteen minutes ago but you were too busy fawning over blondie to notice,” Changkyun rolled his eyes taking a bite out of the apple in his hands. One thing that sucked about spending most of the day as a cat was not being able to eat a proper meal, so the younger always made sure to eat a bunch of snacks after transforming into his human form. That way he would have something to tide him over until Jooheon made dinner for the three of them. “I know you’re a single gay, but you act like you’ve never seen a boy before.”

“Never one so bright and beautiful though,” Jooheon pointed out, thinking fondly of Minhyuk’s blinding smile and bleached white hair. “In all my years of worshiping Apollo, never did I think he would gift me with the chance to see the sun that up close.”

“Hyung, you really need to get laid so you can stop talking like that,” Changkyun scoffed at the cheesiness. “When was the last time you had sex? Or, hell even used a dildo on yourself? You seem too sexually frustrated right now.”

“I suggest you be quiet, or your own sex life is about to become rather bleak as well.”

Changkyun faked a gasp, “Hyung, was that a threat towards me or Hyungwon? Because if so do I need to remind you that Wiccans aren’t allowed to do harm?”

“You don’t need to remind me because honestly every time you act like a brat I’m tragically reminded when I realize I can’t do anything about it.” Jooheon said with a laugh as he wrapped his arm playfully around his best friend’s shoulders as they started making their way home to join Hyungwon for the night.

Jooheon blocked out whatever his best friend was saying as they walked through the garden towards their stone cottage. Instead, all he could think was how later he would need to pray and send an offering to Apollo in hopes of seeing Minhyuk again.

Maybe with one more chance this time he might be brave enough to exchange numbers with the other boy. But the other not being a magic user meant he probably didn’t have a chance of seeing Minhyuk again. Sure, Jooheon could always text Kihyun asking him to bring his friend with him during his bi-weekly visits, however, that option wouldn’t be free of countless accounts of teasing.


	2. page of cups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention this story takes place in America so most of the characters are either born in America or moved to America when they were very young. Due to Wiccan/Pagan culture being more prevalent in western society I believed that it would fit better being set in a western country rather than Korea, so I chose America. Specifically, an unnamed state that after this chapter you will know is obviously not Pennsylvania, however, I will give the hint that it’s in the Northeast. However, they mostly speak Korean to each other even though they know English because, at least from my experience, all the people I know whose family moved to America either before they were born or when they were really young they usually tend to speak their native language at home with their family and with friends that they know who speak the same language, however, with people who don’t speak their native language they speak English. 
> 
> Also, Himchan and Yongguk are mentioned in this chapter but have been aged up to their early 40s. All other characters are the same age as in real life but these two had to be aged up for plot.

“Hey Kihyun, do you want a witch bowl? I bet you want a witch bowl. That’s definitely what every witch wants,” Minhyuk said the minute his best friend opened the door of his apartment.

“Well hello to you too,” Kihyun frowned as Minhyuk shoved the so-called witch bowl into his open palms as he made his way into the apartment. Ignoring the glare from the pink-haired man, within seconds Minhyuk had made himself at home by sprawling himself across Kihyun’s living room couch.

“Don’t be so grumpy, I brought you a witch bowl as a gift.”

“You know this is called a ritual bowl, right?” Kihyun questioned as he studied the object resting carefully in his hands. It was a rather elegant one, definitely of a higher quality than the one he currently used, but the various symbols on the outside assured him that it was certainly a bowl used for rituals and offerings. “Where’d you even get this?”

“I was conned into buying it while at Honey’s Books,” Minhyuk replied remembering how nine days ago he had walked out of the new age bookstore with not only a smudge stick but a bowl he absolutely did not need. Originally Minhyuk had debated just using it as a soup bowl, but he had a vague feeling that would probably be disrespectful to wiccans everywhere. Instead, he decided to gift it to his favourite witch.

“Let me get this straight. Lee ‘do no harm’ Jooheon conned you?” Rolling his eyes, Kihyun placed the ritual bowl down on the table.

“He fluttered his eyelashes at me while asking if I wanted to buy a bowl.”

“I’ve known Jooheon for over three years and he has never been one to flutter his eyes at someone. And if he was to start it would definitely not be at someone like you seeing as he actually has standards,” Kihyun teased as he pushed Minhyuk’s long legs off the sofa to sit next to his friend.

“Okay fine, he blinked once while asking but I melted and gave in right away,” Minhyuk admitted. Jooheon had been so surprisingly adorable that he could have probably suggested anything and with no hesitation Minhyuk would have given in. Damn his weakness for cute boys.

“Now that sounds more believable,” Kihyun hummed in acknowledgement. “How did the cleansing end up going by the way? You never told me what happened with your ghost problems.”

“I think all the spirits are gone now. The past week nothing other than my alarm clock has been waking me up and everything is starting to feel normal again.” It had been a long night after leaving Honey’s Books. Smudging had luckily turned out to be straight forward. Following the typed pamphlet Jooheon had given him, Minhyuk had been able to easily able to complete the smudging ceremony in nearly twenty minutes. Instantly his apartment had felt lighter and had the best energy in all the years he lived there.    
  
Destroying the Ouija Board had been a completely different story however. After a few minutes of convincing himself he truly had to destroy the glow-in-the-dark beauty he struggled with figuring out how to break it. Trying various methods including scissors and knives he eventually figured out brute force was the right way to go about it. Once the board had finally been broken into seven pieces he snuck into the woods behind his apartment at exactly one forty-eight in the morning to bury it. A part of Minhyuk was still nervous one of his neighbours may have seen him do so. After all burying something in the woods in the middle of the night was highly suspicious. Many of his neighbours already seemed to hate him so adding a rumour of him being a murderer on top of that would probably not go over favourably.    
  
However, any thoughts about his neighbours was worries for another time. After all he was just thankful that being haunted no longer seemed to be a problem.

“Well, I’m glad you managed to figure everything out. Other than being haunted how have things been going?”

Minhyuk let out a sigh. “Pretty terribly seeing as midterms are coming up. Why I decided to go get my master’s degree is beyond me. But at least after this semester I finally graduate.”

“Well good luck with that,” Kihyun said sympathetically.  

“Thanks. I’ll need all the luck I can get,” Minhyuk replied, a vague idea appearing in his mind of how he might gain some much-needed luck. “How about you? How has the week been so far without Hyunwoo and Hoseok?”

“Nice and peaceful,” Kihyun replied, but Minhyuk had a suspicion that his loneliness was starting to kick in. While Kihyun had always been the type to claim he enjoyed alone time, it was almost painfully obvious that it was far from the truth. Especially now given the fact Kihyun had invited Minhyuk over for the evening.

It made sense to Minhyuk however that Kihyun had a habit of easily getting lonely. Moving in with Hoseok six years ago after they graduated high school had never really given him a chance to live alone. Plus, Hyunwoo moving in just a year ago had given him even less time by himself. Now Kihyun seemed to only thrive with company by his side.

“Where did Hoseok and Hyunwoo go again?” Minhyuk questioned curiously. Hoseok had mentioned going on a trip with his paranormal society this week. However, Minhyuk’s head had been in the clouds as Hoseok rambled on about all the details of the excursion.

“Pennsylvania, apparently to investigate some battlefields, an abandoned asylum, and a prison.”

Minhyuk nodded in understanding. Pennsylvania was one place Hoseok had always wanted to investigate growing up because of the numerous iconic haunted locations. Sure, their own state had plenty of haunted locations as well, however, according to the paranormal investigator none of them compared to Pennsylvania. But Minhyuk suspected it was just a case of things outside of where you live always seeming more intriguing.

“Seeing as I don’t have to cook for once in my life, do you mind if I order pizza for us?” Minhyuk smiled knowingly hearing Kihyun's stomach growl before his friend could even finish his question. 

“I’m never one to turn down a free pizza,” Minhyuk answered seriously. “Get our usual?” He added, his mouth already watering at the thought of the stuffed crust meat lover’s pizza.

“Of course,” Kihyun replied getting up to go retrieve the menu from the kitchen so he could call and place their order.

“Don’t forget to order wings also,” Minhyuk called after him, earning a grumble of annoyance form the witch.

The complaints from Kihyun sounding suspiciously along the lines of, this brat always wastes my money. With a roll of his eyes Minhyuk tuned the other man out as he picked up the nearest remote to start browsing Hoseok’s Netflix list.

☽◯☾

“Jooheon,” Minhyuk exclaimed seeing the younger organizing a collection of crystals. His sudden outburst causing the Wiccan to glance up from his task as well as the store cat to hiss from his spot atop one of the bookshelves.

Kkungie, who had been peacefully sitting watching customers, now seemed to glare at the elder as the hairs on his back slowly settled. However, Minhyuk couldn’t bring himself to feel bad for scaring Hyungwon’s cat. The scratch on his hand from that furry menace was still not fully healed from when he had mistakenly tried to pet it. So, if anything, it served the bastard right, and this was just revenge for the pain it caused his hand.

“I was wondering if you could help me with something again?” Minhyuk asked hopefully now that he had managed to get Jooheon’s attention.

Minhyuk honestly hadn’t expected to return to Honey’s Books anytime soon. Sure, a part of him wanted to see a certain adorable Wiccan again. However, he never imagined having another practical reason to visit the new age bookstore.

But today he had found one, which brought him back to Honey’s Books almost two weeks later, seeking luck for his upcoming exams. Plus, he also had the hidden agenda of being able to ogle Jooheon in his workplace. However, that was a fact Minhyuk was going to personally ignore seeing as this trip was just to get luck and absolutely not to check out an attractive Wiccan.

Minhyuk had arrived at precisely noon, eager to be visiting the store again. However, this time, much to his annoyance, he unfortunately had to search for a parking space among rows of vehicles. At first glance Minhyuk was worried he might need to fight numerous witches for Jooheon’s attention. But finding the younger peacefully organizing shelves had immediately given Minhyuk a sense of relief. Still, he decided to make a mental note to himself to come closer to closing again when crowds weren’t as bad.

“Of course. Did the smudging not help?” Jooheon questioned, concern evident in his voice.

“No, it did,” Minhyuk quickly replied, watching the worry disappear from Jooheon’s face. “I was just hoping you could help me get some luck.”

“Oh! What kind of luck are you looking for?” Jooheon placed the crystal in his hand down on the shelf as the prospect of helping with a spell tempted him. “Are you looking for more, I want to win a contest or the lottery luck? Perhaps good luck to even out bad luck? Or, maybe something else?”

“More like, I need to pass all my exams if I want to actually graduate this year luck.”

“I think a candle spell would work well then. I can make one for you if you have the time?”

“Sure, I have all the time in the world.”

“Do you know how candle magic works?” Jooheon questioned picking two candles, a green and a gold one respectively, from one of the various shelves in the store.

“Not exactly,” Minhyuk answered as he followed Jooheon to the second floor of the shop.

“Well I’ll be taking care of the hard part by making the candle for you. So, all you’ll need to do is light the candle the night before your exam while envision your intent for using this spell. After that you just let it burn fully and it should work. You will still need to study a bit because magic isn’t a miracle worker. But it will help improve your overall luck especially in regards of school work for the next few weeks,” Jooheon explained as he walked into one of the small rooms on the second floor. This was the one Jooheon always used to make spells or charms to be sold within the store.

Walking in behind Jooheon, Minhyuk’s eyes were immediately drawn to the table in the centre of the small room. Scattered across the table was various lit candles, ritual bowls, dried herbs and flowers, stones, a cauldron that looked straight out of a Harry Potter movie, and two statues of what appeared to be a god and goddess. Although it was less cluttered than the one in Kihyun’s apartment, Minhyuk was able to recognize it as an altar right away.

“I would have thought you graduated college already,” Jooheon said placing both candles down and selecting a dagger from the altar. “When were you born, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“November third, nineteen ninety-three,” Minhyuk admitted, watching Jooheon’s skilled hands begin to carve various symbols onto the side of the green candle. “I went back to get my master’s degree though.”

“That’s admirable,” Jooheon mused, now moving on to cut a few indents into the top of the candle to place herbs. “What are you getting a degree in?” he questioned selecting dried clover, thyme, and rosemary from the table to place on the top of the candle.

“Sociology.”

Nodding Jooheon continued his original task of carving luck sigils into the sides of the candle. “That sounds interesting. What do you plan on doing after you graduate?”

“I’m planning on becoming a sociologist with a focus on the study of witches.” 

“They offer courses on witches now?” Jooheon asked, a hint of surprise evident in his voice. Most people who weren’t witches themselves tended to fear magic users. Due to this Jooheon never imagined someone being able to go to university to get a degree on the sociology of witches.

“Unfortunately not. I’m taking more general sociology classes. Witches are unfortunately a very underreseached area in sociology right now. But after I graduate I’m hoping to help change that.”

Disappointment was evident across Jooheon’s face for a fleeting moment. A small part of the Wiccan had hoped that universities started offering classes on witches. People always seemed to feared witches and that fear only seemed to get worse as horror movies made witches the subject therefore giving them a bad name. Now most people who didn’t practice witchcraft always thought witches were out to kill them or place hexes on them. Even wiccans consequently got a bad name despite not being allowed to do harm. Sure people were more accepting now, however, there was a lot of progress needed. So he thought maybe a class on magic users would help change certain people’s minds. But still, maybe more research on witches from people like Minhyuk may help better erase these lasting stereotypes. 

“What did you study in college?” Minhyuk asked curiously. Maybe business he thought seeing as Jooheon owned a store. Kihyun had gotten a double major in culinary arts and business to open his own bakery. So maybe Jooheon had done something similar but with just business seeing as universities didn’t offer classes on witchcraft. 

“I actually didn’t go to college. After I graduated high school I just took my inheritance and opened this store up,” Jooheon answered as he lit the gold candle. Holding it above the green candle he watched as the wax slowly began dripping covering the symbols and herbs.

☽◯☾

Dripping the last of the golden wax, Jooheon heard a soft knock on the door. Halting his current conversation with Minhyuk he glanced up to see Hyungwon stick his head in. “Jooheon, Himchan is here to see you.” Eyes widening at the mention of his coven’s High Priest, Jooheon quickly extinguished the flame of the candle and excused himself.

“What the fuck is Himchan doing here?” Jooheon whispered as he joined Hyungwon in the hallway.

“I have no idea. I thought him and Yongguk where just visiting Changkyun, but they asked to see you also.”

“Oh great, Yongguk’s here also,” Jooheon sighed in disappointment. He should have expected the two would travel together as they often did. But he had been hopeful that only one of his coven’s leaders rather than both had showed up. “Where are they?”

“Changkyun brought them to our cottage. But knowing them they will probably come searching for you soon,” Hyungwon warned. “You’ll need to get rid of Minhyuk before they see him.”

“He’s a customer like everyone else. Just because he’s not a witch it doesn’t mean I need to sneak him out of here like he’s some one-night stand.”

“Yeah but he’s a customer who is not only your type but who definitely doesn’t seem to belong here. You know that’s going to be very suspicious to them if either Himchan or Yongguk see him.”

“So, what? Let them think it’s suspicious.”

“You know they aren’t going to approve of him and I don’t want you to have to deal with any crap from them. They hardly approve of me and Changkyun and I’m a witch, just not a Wiccan. So, I can’t even imagine the amount of shit they will give you for Minhyuk.”

“That’s different. I’m not their son and they sure as hell aren’t my dads.”

“They are protective over you though.”

Jooheon let out an annoyed huff, Hyungwon was right. Growing up in their coven and being best friends with their adopted son, Changkyun, had made them care about Jooheon more than the average member. They cared so much for Jooheon that after his mother died they took him in for a year until he graduated high school. However, after Changkyun and himself had graduated they both took Jooheon’s inheritance to open this bookstore together. It was nice as it let them have time away for the coven. Occasionally Himchan and Yongguk would still visit or they would be required to. But for the most part they no longer had to be involved in the coven which they preferred.  

Frankly, Jooheon didn’t care about either of their opinions anymore. But he knew getting on their bad side wouldn’t be favourable for anyone involved. “Fine I’ll get rid of Minhyuk. Just make sure to watch the store while I’m gone.”

Putting on an apologetic smile Jooheon entered the back room again to see Minhyuk studying some of the stones on his altar. “I have guests so I’m going to have to go. But your candle is done so you can take it if you want.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“Consider it a gift,” Jooheon said handing the small candle over to Minhyuk’s waiting hands.

“Thanks, but are you sure?” Minhyuk looked apprehensively between Jooheon and the candle.

“Of course,” Jooheon smiled causing his dimples to appear which washed away Minhyuk’s worry. “Here, let me walk you out.”

As Jooheon parted ways with Minhyuk at the door all he could do was mourn another lost chance of getting Minhyuk’s number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos, bookmarked the fic, and subscribed so far!! also an especially big thank you to those who commented last chapter!! comments always help to drive and motivate me!!
> 
> also again a huge thank you to my beta seeing as she's been helping me out so much recently!! i really hope that with her help i will improve my skills more!!


	3. the star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helpful things to know for this chapter:  
> ● Sabbat = Seasonal festivals/holidays celebrated by Pagans/Wiccans.  
> ● The Eight Sabbats = The major festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. The Eight Sabbats are Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas/Lughnasadh, and Mabon  
> ● Ostara = The Spring Equinox which is usually on or around March 21st, this year (2018) it takes place March 20th. It’s celebrated in a variety of different ways however it typically marks the coming of Spring.  
> ● Beltane = Takes place May 1st every year and focuses on celebrating fertility and fire.

“What do you think we should do for Ostara this year?” Changkyun asked, taking a spot between Hyungwon and Jooheon on the hideous flower-patterned sofa in their cottage’s living room. Instinctively Hyungwon put an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders, causing Changkyun to curl into the elder’s comforting touch.

Over the past three years that Hyungwon had lived with them this had becoming an increasingly common occurrence between the two of them. However, it was one that Jooheon was recently a bit envious of. After his break-up with Taeyong a little over four months ago, Jooheon hadn’t been in a relationship or even had a fling since, causing him to miss having a close romantic bond like Hyungwon and Changkyun had.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Hyungwon admitted with a shrug. Not being Pagan himself he usually just did whatever Changkyun and Jooheon did for the holidays. He had slightly begun to adapt certain aspects of the culture as his own, however he wasn’t committed to it. “Did you have any ideas?” Hyungwon glanced in Jooheon’s direction.

The question at hand was one Jooheon had been thinking about frequently the last few days. Ostara was rapidly approaching and Himchan’s visit last week had thrown a wrench into their usual plans. Like every Sabbat the last four years, the three of them had expect to spend it stuck at their coven. After all, the Eight Sabbats were one of the only times a year Jooheon and Changkyun were required to visit the coven they had once called home. However, Yongguk and Himchan’s visit had brought them the unexpected news that the couple would be returning to Korea until Beltane.

“I was thinking we could just perform a few rituals by ourselves. Maybe after have a picnic with a couple friends and maybe the few coven members we still keep in contact with,” Jooheon answered. To him that was the best plan of action. After all, it would still allow them to honour and send offering to the spring goddess, Eostre. Plus the chance to share food with friends because, at least according to Jooheon, no Pagan festival is complete without a feast.

“That actually sounds really nice.”

“You could invite your new boyfriend.”

“Minhyuk’s not my boyfriend,” Jooheon whined as he tried to defend himself from Changkyun’s teasing. Would he like Minhyuk to be his boyfriend? Possibly. However, that didn’t change the fact he wasn’t his boyfriend at the moment.

“But you want him to be,” Changkyun pointed out simply.

“I never said that.”

“I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re thirsting after a guy. You looked up his entire birth chart the other day for god’s sake. Plus, Minhyuk is totally your type so it would be surprising if you didn’t want to at least be fucked by him.”

“I don’t even have a type.”

“Yes, you do. You always go for the attractive twinks with dyed hair,” Changkyun rolled his eyes, causing Jooheon to sputter. “Remember Taeyong, Daehyun, and who was that kid before Daehyun?”

“Minghao,” Hyungwon recalled. Minghao Jooheon hadn’t dated for long, it wasn’t even a full month before they broke up. However, they had been together when Hyungwon first met Jooheon, so he remembered the other clearly.

“Right Minghao. Also, you can’t forget your first boyfriend Taemin. All of them were pretty twinks with dyed hair,” Changkyun pointed out. “At least Minhyuk isn’t a Wiccan like everyone else, so I guess you are branching out a bit. But still in every other regard he is exactly your type.”

“Actually, Daehyun wasn’t Pagan,” Jooheon protested weakly. It really was obvious that he did have a type which Minhyuk most certainly fit the model for. However, Minhyuk seemed intriguing in different ways than just his looks which made Jooheon want to get to know the elder better. It was probably due to the fact that Jooheon had never seen a human so interested and unafraid of magic users. But no matter what it was, getting closer to Minhyuk was something he truly desired.

“Okay fine. Minhyuk’s the first person who doesn’t practice magic that you’ve been attracted to,” Changkyun clarified, before his expression changed into a more serious one. “I know I tease you a lot, but you deserve to be happy with someone.”

“Thanks, but I’m not even sure it will work out. I don’t even know if he would want to date me.”

“Oh, trust me he would. What gay guy wouldn’t want to date you? If I was more your type, not a fellow bottom, and didn’t have Hyungwonnie I would probably want to date you,” Changkyun joked. Personally, Changkyun would never consider dating Jooheon himself. Being best friends since childhood and being raised in the same coven left them with a deep bond that neither of them would ever want to taint with romance. However, despite this he could clearly see any man would be lucky to have Jooheon as a boyfriend.

“Well I mean. You did have dyed hair once, so at one time you were slightly my supposed type,” Jooheon said causing both Hyungwon and himself to snicker at the memory.

“We don’t talk about that.”

“What you don’t want to talk about when you had bright pink hair?” Jooheon laughed fondly remembering the bet they had made just a year ago.

“I never want to think about that again. It was bad enough you ruined my hair in my human form but for me to have to walk around as a pink cat as well was just cruel.” Much to Changkyun’s annoyance but Hyungwon and Jooheon’s delight, the younger ending up having to dye his hair a bright fuchsia for a week. As a consequence, they soon found out that the fur colour of a shifter would always match its human hair colour, whether dyed or natural. After a week of not leaving the house in either form, Changkyun had quickly dyed his hair back to black and never touched it since.

“I still have so many pictures from that week,” Hyungwon chuckled fondly causing Changkyun to sit up and stiffen.

“I’d recommend you delete those,” Changkyun suggested.

“Never. You looked so adorable in both forms.”

“It was so embarrassing.”

“No, it was cute. Besides I could never delete the pictures of the world’s only pink kitten.”

Changkyun glared at his pouting boyfriend before faking a yawn. “I’m going to bed. Jooheon, I love you and hope you sleep well. As for you Mister Hyungwon, while you sleep on the couch tonight I suggest you think long and hard about deleting those pictures unless you never want to be long and hard again.”

With that Changkyun sauntered away towards his bedroom. Jooheon was beginning to believe this was some type of new twisted foreplay for the two of them. As of late Changkyun had begun being upset over small petty things which only resulted in playful threats like the one today. After getting his way, which Changkyun almost always did, the two would spend half the night in their bed not sleeping.

Letting out a sigh, a few seconds later Hyungwon chased after Changkyun shouting something about him deleting the pictures. Rolling his eyes at his best friends’ antics Jooheon decided to retire to his own bedroom for the night before the inevitable groans filled the small cottage. He really needed to put a soundproofing spell on Changkyun’s bedroom. That way he wouldn’t have to deal with their moaning while in the living room and be forced to find refuge in his own soundproofed room almost every night.

☽◯☾

“How was Pennsylvania?” Minhyuk asked, taking a sip of green tea out of the glow-in-the-dark travel mug clutched in his hands. Hoseok had been home for almost a week but due to mid-term exams Minhyuk hadn’t had time to work nor visit. Luckily though, your two best friends owning the bakery you work at gives you plenty of flexibility in your work schedule. Therefore, Kihyun had understandingly offered Minhyuk his exam week off to be able to properly study.

“It was pretty fun. Me and Hyunwoo had an amazing time,” Hoseok said pulling on his navy-blue apron and pinning his nametag to the uniform. “We still need to finish going through all the videos, EVPs, and pictures we took while there but some of the evidence is very impressive so far. When you come for dinner this weekend, remind me to show you some.”

“I will,” Minhyuk agreed, grabbing his own apron out of his locker in the break room. Glancing at the time he knew the two of them only had about five more minutes before having to deal with the morning rush. After all, nine o’clock was quickly approaching and Kihyun would soon finish his baking to officially open Blue Moon Bakery. “What location turned out to be your favourite? I know you seemed pretty excited about all of them.”

“I kind of want to say Gettysburg but that wouldn’t really be fair. We spent almost the whole week there seeing as we got to investigate a bunch of different buildings and battlefields. But if I split up the locations in Gettysburg versus the rest of the locations we went to? Probably Eastern State Penitentiary. While there we caught shadow figure running on camera,” Hoseok rambled on excitedly only halting because Kihyun strolled into the room.

“I just wanted to see if the two of you are ready because I’m getting ready to open the store and go home to take a nap,” Kihyun spoke softly as he walked over to Hoseok. Being the one in charge of doing the baking at the store meant Kihyun had to wake up at the crack of dawn almost every day to make pastries. Therefore, after completing his baking for the day, he would often go home and nap while waiting for Hoseok or Hyunwoo to return. “Before I do though could you move the new display case I bought into the front?”

“Of course, babe,” Hoseok answered with a kiss to Kihyun’s cheek. Striding off in the direction of the back room he left Kihyun and Minhyuk alone in the break room.

“I’ve run out of a lot of ingredients for my spells, so I was thinking about running to Honey’s Books tomorrow,” Kihyun started as he turned to Minhyuk. “If you aren’t busy and need an excuse to see your new boyfriend, I might need someone to help carry the new caldron I plan on buying so I can carry all the ingredients.”

Minhyuk opened his mouth to protest, however, before he could make a sound Kihyun cut him off. “Don’t even think about denying it. You’re already whipped for Jooheon and it’s cute but also a bit pathetic. You bought a thirty-dollar bowl just because he suggested it.”

“You should just be happy with the gift rather than judging me,” Minhyuk playfully snapped instead of acknowledging his attraction to Jooheon.

“Trust me. I’m very happy with it and have been getting good use out of that ritual bowl. However, it doesn’t change the fact that if Jooheon wasn’t a hot guy that you want to fuck it would have never been given to me.”

“Fine… I want to go with you, so I can see Jooheon,” Minhyuk admitted. “What time do you plan on leaving?”

“I can pick you up around two if that’s alright with you?”

“That works perfectly,” Minhyuk nodded. As he locked his jacket and now empty travel mug in his locker, his mind began to wander. He had unfortunately not seen the Wiccan since his visit before his exams. So Minhyuk was very excited to possibly see Jooheon again and his mind was filled with possibilities of their next meeting.

“I should start opening the bakery, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” Kihyun spoke, snapping Minhyuk out of his thoughts and grounding him back in reality. Exchanging his goodbyes with the witch, Minhyuk pulled himself together so he would be ready to focus on serving pastries rather than wondering how Jooheon’s lips would feel like against his.

☽◯☾

Although it was only the third time Minhyuk stepped into Honey’s Books, he was overcome with a comforting familiarity. The unique blend of rosemary, lavender, and thyme was no longer the only thing putting him at ease. Instead the whole shop felt warm and inviting rather than intimidating. As he trailed behind Kihyun, boots clicking on the hardwood floor, rather than being filled with apprehension, he was filled with anticipation at the thought of seeing Jooheon again.

“Hey Hyungwon. Kkungie,” Kihyun greeted walking up to the counter. Minhyuk looked on in vague jealously as the pink haired witch absentmindedly began scratching the kitten’s head causing it to purr sweetly. A part of him wished he could pet Kkungie as well, but as he remembered the stinging claw he received last time, he decided against trying. “Do you know where Jooheon is? He agreed to hold a caldron for me a few weeks ago, so I wanted to pick that up today along with a few potion ingredients.”

“I think he’s is still in the back room,” Hyungwon replied glancing over his shoulder. “Jooheonie, Kihyun is here to see you,” he shouted causing Minhyuk to raise an eyebrow in a silent question at the name of endearment. For a fleeting moment he worried about the implications of the nickname. But recalling Kihyun referring to Jooheon by Jooheonie at least twice during the car ride, Minhyuk’s worry faded as quickly as it had appeared.

Hearing Jooheon call them to join him in the back room, Minhyuk followed closely behind Kihyun into the only part of the shop he hadn’t stepped foot into. Unlike the rest of the store, this room was rather messy, requiring them to weave their way through a maze of boxes. Glancing in a few opened ones, Minhyuk caught small glimpses of packs of incense, oils, bones, and jewellery, among other things.

“You have remarkable timing, you know that Kihyun? I was actually planning on calling you once I closed the store,” Jooheon remarked as Minhyuk and Kihyun reached his work table. Glancing up from the symbols he was stitching into an altar cloth, Jooheon’s face broke out into a bright smile as his eye’s fell on Minhyuk. “Ah, Minhyuk! I actually wanted to talk to you as well. I was wondering if the two of you are free next week on the twentieth? We are having a small Ostara picnic and celebration, so I was hoping the both of you would be able to come. Also, Ki, if your boyfriends are available please extend my invitation to them as well.”

“I know all four of us would love to attend,” Kihyun nodded. Despite not being Pagan himself, Kihyun always closed the bakery on Ostara. After all, the Spring Equinox was a powerful day to perform spells and rituals, Wiccan or not. So, he knew Hoseok, Minhyuk, and himself wouldn’t have to work. Plus, he was pretty sure Hyunwoo didn’t have to teach any dance classes that day.

“What time does it start?” Minhyuk questioned. He knew he had one morning class that day, however, if he had to Minhyuk was willing to miss one class this semester to spend time with Jooheon.

“That’s the thing, Changkyun, Hyungwon, and I are still trying to decide on a time. But if you wanted to write down your number for me I’ll text you when I know for sure,” Jooheon replied as he picked a piece of paper and pen off the messy work bench to offer to Minhyuk. Accepting the objects with a grin, Minhyuk quickly scribbled his name and number across the paper before handing it back to the Wiccan. “Thank you, hopefully I’ll have a definite answer for you by tomorrow.”

“Well I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you,” Minhyuk said truthfully. All he had to do tomorrow was go to Kihyun’s house for dinner. So, he had plenty of time to pathetically sit around waiting for a Wiccan to text him. Maybe catch up on a few episodes of Buzzfeed Unsolved

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Kihyun spoke up. “Jooheonie, I was wondering if you have that caldron you promised to hold for me? I still need to look for a few spell ingredients so Minhyuk seeing as you kindly offered to carry it for me, I’m going to go finish my shopping and meet you by the counter.” Squeezing by a couple boxes, Kihyun left Jooheon and Minhyuk knowing that his best friend would most likely want a few minutes alone with the Wiccan before they had to leave.

“How did your exams end up going?” Jooheon inquired as he stood up to begin searching for the caldron.

“They went really well! I ended up getting A’s on all three of them.”

“Oh, well great job,” Jooheon congratulated the blonde. Pushing aside an empty box he found the caldron Kihyun had wanted. The pot was a glossy black with an elegant light blue pentagram design painted on the side. It was a piece that any magic user would be truly lucky to have. “How has your luck been in general?” he questioned handing the caldron to Minhyuk.

“Pretty good. I found twenty dollars on the ground the other day. Plus, a cute boy just asked me to go to his Ostara picnic. So, I’d say the luck spell really did work.”

A hint of a blush began dusting Jooheon’s cheeks but before he could reply Kihyun’s loud voice reached their ears. “Minhyuk are you ready? We need to go. Hoseok just texted me that he accidentally locked himself out of the apartment _again_ and Hyunwoo isn’t going to be home for another three hours.”

“It’s okay. I’ll text you tonight,” Jooheon reassured Minhyuk with a smile as disappointment spread across the blonde’s face.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Minhyuk replied before scurrying out of the room, not wanting to make Kihyun grow impatient.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you again to everyone who has left kudos and comments on this fic so far!! i really appreciate them especially the comments because they really keep me motivated!!
> 
> also next update i'm going to try my best to get posted on or before ostara!!


	4. the sun

“How have things been going with Jooheon?” Hoseok asked from his spot, sprawled lazily across Minhyuk’s bed. Hoseok had come over early that day to spend time with his best friend. Kihyun had wanted to run a few errands that morning to bring food to the picnic. Plus, it turned out Hyunwoo had to teach one dance class that morning before they could head over to Jooheon’s house. Both of which meant Hoseok would be alone until noon. Not particularly fond of that idea, he had decided to walk to Minhyuk’s apartment until Kihyun was ready.    
  
“Pretty well. We’ve been texting pretty much every night since last week,” Minhyuk replied as he riffled through his closet looking for the perfect jacket to wear. Although spring was approaching, causing every day to grow slightly warmer, the light chill of winter was still in the air. Flowers had begun blooming and leaves had appeared on the trees. But while the world around them had begun buzzing with life again, it was still cold enough to insist on wearing a jacket.    
  
From the texts Minhyuk had exchanged with Jooheon a few days ago, he knew most of Ostara would be spent outside. According to the Wiccan, the festival focused on the celebration of spring and nature, making being outdoors important to the celebration. So Minhyuk figured it was best to opt for a light jacket rather than possibly ending up freezing.    
  
“Does it seem like he might like you back?” Hoseok asked curiously as Minhyuk pull out a red bomber jacket. After considering the garment for a few seconds he hastily stuffed it back into the closet.   
  
“Possibly?” Minhyuk replied as he instead took out a classic black leather. Seemingly happy in his new outfit choice, Minhyuk pulled the jacket on over the plaid shirt he had already deemed acceptable. “I’m a bit nervous though. I’ve never been into a magic user before and I haven’t dated anyone since Mark.”   
  
“You need to relax. Dating a magic user is no different from dating anyone else. Besides from what Kihyun’s said about Jooheon I doubt you have anything to worry about. He seems like a sweet guy, unlike Mark who was a total asshole.”   
  
“Mark wasn’t all that bad,” Minhyuk lied. Mark had truly been a jerk but Minhyuk had been reluctant to break up with him. While he was demanding and definitely not the most affectionate individual, Mark was a good lay and had a few okay qualities. Besides it had been hard to find cute gay guys at his university, so he took whatever he could get.   
  
“He broke up with you on your two-year anniversary and screwed your ex. I would say he was pretty horrible.”   
  
“I know,” Minhyuk sighed, flopping down on the bed next to Hoseok now that he was finally finishing getting ready. “You don’t understand how lucky you have it. You’ve never had to deal with a shitty ex.”   
  
Their first year of high school Hoseok had been lucky enough to begin dating Kihyun. Being best friends since childhood, the two ended up getting feelings for one another as they grew up together. Now ten years later, two of which had been with Hyunwoo, the couple was still inseparable.   
  
“Oh, trust me, Kihyun and I are well aware. Hyunwoo had some shitty exs also before he joined our relationship, but he’ll never have to worry about that again.”   
  
“Unless he decides to dump you. The two of you can be a bit annoying so I wouldn’t blame him,” Minhyuk teased, although he doubted that would ever happen. The three where sickeningly in love so it would probably take a lot to tear any of them apart.    
  
“I doubt that,” Hoseok scoffed. “Did Kihyun tell you yet? We’ve recently been discussing probably getting married next summer.”   
  
Minhyuk let out an excited gasp. He loved weddings and his best friends getting married would be amazing. However, he never thought it would be a reality once Hyunwoo joined their relationship. “All three of you? How?”   
  
“Kihyun knows a lot of Wiccans and many of them allow three-way marriage in their handfasting ceremonies,” Hoseok explained. “You better make sure you act surprised when Kihyun tells you though. He’ll probably kill me if he finds out I ruined our big announcement.”   
  
“I will. You’ve ruined so many surprises throughout our friendship I’m basically a pro at acting surprised.”    
  
Anyone who knew Hoseok was aware that his one major flaw was he couldn’t keep a secret to save his life. He had his fair share of ruining numerous surprise parties and countless Christmas presents due to this. But now apparently spoiling the news of his own engagement was going to be added to the list.   
  
“Oh god, now I’m going to be that one single friend with all my friends getting married,” Minhyuk joked as realization dawned on him that all three of his friends marrying each other meant he would be the only single one in their friend group.    
  
“Well, I mean if you sucked it up and actually asked Jooheon out you might not be single too much longer,” Hoseok pointed out as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. His fingers quickly danced across the screen as he fired back a reply to his latest text. “Hyunwoo texted me that Kihyun just picked him up from the studio. So, they should be here to pick us up in a few minutes.”   
  
“Alright, let me just fix my hair and we can go outside and wait for them,” Minhyuk said as he sat up on his bed, his hair sticking out at odd angles. 

  
☽◯☾

  
Rapping his knuckles against the faded green door of Jooheon’s cottage, Minhyuk glanced nervously at Kihyun as he took a step back. Now that he was here, Minhyuk was suddenly brimming with apprehension about celebrating Ostara. Sure, he would have his three best friends by his side but being thrown into an unfamiliar culture, and also having to meet all Jooheon’s close friends at the same time, was an intimidating thought.    
  
A few seconds later the door was swung open, the minute Minhyuk’s eyes laid on Jooheon’s dimpled smile his worries immediately began to fade away. “Ah! Finally, everyone’s here,” Jooheon clapped his paint and ring covered hands together. “Come in, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”    
  
Minhyuk felt Jooheon’s soft hand wrap around his wrist, gently pulling him through the house and into the backyard. The yard was decorated simply but elegantly, string lights were hung carefully from the wooden pergola above and a variety of wild flowers were stuffed into the trellis on either side. The centre piece was a large stone altar filled with a variety of plants, herbs, lighted candles, and bowls of what Minhyuk assumed were offerings.     
  
“Minhyuk, this is my friend Soonyoung and his boyfriend Jihoon,” Minhyuk heard Jooheon say, pulling his attention away from the décor. “And that’s their boyfriend Wonwoo,” Jooheon added pointing at a tall brunette currently engaged in a conversation with Hyungwon.    
  
“It’s nice to meet you,” Minhyuk greeted, offering them the one hand Jooheon wasn’t still clutching in his own.    
  
The taller of the two, Soonyoung, opened his mouth to speak before – “JOOHEON,” a loud shout caused all four of them to snap their heads in the direction of the source. The source being a black-haired man running across the yard to join them.   
  
“And that would be my best friend Changkyun.”   
  
“I think something in the kitchen might be burning. I went in there for a glass of water and the oven was beeping and it was smelling a bit overdone in there.”   
  
“Oh god the lamb chops… I’ll be right back,” Jooheon promised finally dropping Minhyuk’s hand to scurry back off in the direction of the kitchen. Which left Minhyuk unfortunately alone with the three Wiccans.    
  
“So, how long have you and Jooheon been dating?” Soonyoung raised an eyebrow in curiosity.    
  
“We… We’re not… We’re just friends.”   
  
Jihoon scoffed from his spot next to Soonyoung. “You don’t have to lie to us. Wonwoo isn’t a magic user either so we understand.”   
  
“Actually, they surprisingly aren’t dating,” Changkyun pipped up. “They seem to just be in the stage of thirsting after each other.”    
  
Understanding dawned in both Soonyoung and Jihoon’s eyes as Minhyuk had to restrain himself from smacking Jooheon’s best friend. That would not be a way to make a proper first introduction. Instead, Minhyuk choose to focus on Jihoon’s peculiar reaction.   
  
“Is it not common for Wiccans to date humans?”   
  
“It really depends on the Wiccan. Most magic users tend to stick to our own kind and most humans are the same way. But I just know Jooheon didn’t grow up in the most human accepting environment. However, Jooheon’s very accepting so it wouldn’t be surprising if he dated a human. We just didn’t want you assuming we are one of the people who aren’t okay with that.”   
  
Minhyuk nodded in understanding, however, he felt slight worry over this new-found information. He trusted that Jooheon wouldn’t judge him for not being a magic user, but he didn’t know how to feel about this stigma.

  
☽◯☾

  
The sun had set lower in the sky and everyone’s stomachs were stuffed with an Ostara feast. A freshly lit bonfire was crackling in the distance as Minhyuk choose instead to study the contents of the altar   
  
“Why aren’t you celebrating with anyone else?” Jooheon asked, causing Minhyuk to jump at the other’s sudden appearance.   
  
“I felt like a third and well, also fourth wheel over there,” Minhyuk replied glancing towards the bonfire. Changkyun was sitting on Hyungwon’s lap, the other’s arms protectively wrapped around his waist. While Kihyun was currently sandwiched between his two muscular boyfriends. “Besides, I wanted to ask you about this altar. I’ve been wondering all day what it’s for.”   
  
“Changkyun and I use it for rituals during that Sabbats. For Ostara we usually decorate it in the morning with things we pick from the forest and meadows out back. After we usually put up offering bowls and say prayers. Throughout the day we always add to the altar and encourage others to do so as well and perform their own rituals.”   
  
“What are the offerings?”   
  
“For Ostara we usually offer honey and milk to the spring goddess Ēostre. Right before midnight we usually pour the mixture of milk and honey into the Earth.”   
  
Minhyuk nodded, watching Jooheon as he absentmindedly picked at the petals of one of the flowers. Curiosity getting the better of him, Minhyuk took Jooheon’s hands in his own to look at the colourful painted on designs on the backs. “I’ve been meaning to ask you? What are these? I noticed them on Changkyun’s hands earlier as well.”   
  
“Oh, they’re sigils. They can be used as magic themselves or to enhance spells. I used a few on that luck candle I made you,” Jooheon explained, not bothering to pull his hands away from Minhyuk’s. “I usually use them to enhance spells so during rituals I paint them on my hands to transfer the intent of them into the ritual I’m performing.”   
  
“What was the intent behind these ones?”   
  
“Attracting good health, friendship, love, and blessings this spring.”   
  
“They’re beautiful. Do you design them yourself or are they passed down?”   
  
“I design my own. I also sometimes borrow the ones Hyungwon or Changkyun design but for the most part I use my own.”   
  
“You have an amazing talent for it.”   
  
“Thank you. But trust me Changkyun is much better. He spent his whole life studying sigils,” Jooheon replied. Due to Changkyun not having the powers of a witch and rather a shifter, his fathers had taught him how to use sigils. After all, sigils were one of the most basic forms of magic, therefore they were possible for someone not able to perform witchcraft.     
  
“I should start cleaning up,” Jooheon suddenly added, finally pulling his hands away from Minhyuk’s gentle hold as he glanced around at the mess his guests had left on the picnic tables.    
  
“I can help if you want?”   
  
“You’re a guest. Go join everyone else, I’ll be alright. Besides, I have magic, so I’ll be out in less than a few minutes to join you,” Jooheon said shooting a spark out of the palm of his hand as a reminder.    
  


☽◯☾

  
“I just realized, I didn’t get the chance to properly thank you for coming,” Jooheon said, laying down on the soft grass next to Minhyuk. The blonde had managed to find a nice peaceful spot away from the bonfire, however, he couldn’t be upset about Jooheon being the one to interrupt it. “I know you aren’t too familiar with Paganism, so I don’t imagine you had the most fun ever. But it meant a lot to me to have you here.”   
  
“I actually had a great time. It was interesting getting to know your friends and culture,” Minhyuk reassured the Wiccan. Watching the sun dip lower in the sky, Minhyuk placed a comforting hand on top of Jooheon’s own. “You know, sunset has always been my favourite time of day.”    
  
Jooheon hummed in agreement as they both took in the array of pinks, oranges, and purples painting the sky. “There’s a lot of power and magic surrounding both the sunset and sunrise. Personally, I’ve always liked the sunrise better. But I suppose sunset can be nice as well.”   
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sunrise properly. I’m always either asleep or getting ready for the day when they happen,” Minhyuk admitted as he laced his and Jooheon’s fingers together. “What’s so special about them?”   
  
“I just prefer the magic that goes with the sunrise. Sunset is a bit sad. It’s all about endings, subtraction, and loss. However, sunrise is about beginnings, addition, and love.”    
  
“Sounds beautiful. One day I’ll have to take the time to properly watch one.”   
  
“Maybe one day we could watch one together?”   
  
“I’d like that,” Minhyuk smiled, finally turning his attention from the sky to Jooheon himself. The golden light from the sunset was bathing Jooheon’s tan skin, making the younger look breath-taking. “Is sunrise your favourite time of day, or, do you just prefer it to sunset?”   
  
“It’s my favourite time of day, however, personally I prefer night. My magic always feels stronger with the moon than during the day with the sun.” Jooheon explained causing Minhyuk to shoot him a questioning glance.    
  
“Every witch draws their power from somewhere. Some from elements, others from nature, but personally I draw my energy from the sun and moon,” he quickly clarified now that he realized Minhyuk might not know about power sources. “The main god and goddess I worship are actually Apollo and Luna in hope they will continue allowing me to draw from them.”   
  
“Do you worship any other gods and goddesses?”    
  
“Sometimes, during festivals meant for honouring different ones. Outside of festivals however, the only one I worship regularly is Hecate. My coven always taught me she was important to worship seeing as she’s the goddess of witchcraft.”   
  
“Oh, you belong to a coven?” Minhyuk could recall Kihyun once telling him that many witches lived in covens. While Kihyun and his family were solitary witches, traditionally it was more common for them to belong to a coven.    
  
“Yeah, I was born into a coven. My mother was a witch also and belonged to it, so I grew up in one.”   
  
“What was it like?”   
  
“The coven is a bit strict and has a lot of rules I never exactly agree with. However, I got to grow up with Changkyun while living there. So, it wasn’t all that bad,” Jooheon sighed. It wasn’t the best environment to grow up in. However, growing up with Changkyun had made it worth it. “Plus, now that we live on our own I get a lot more freedom even though technically I’m still part of it.”   
  
A crunch of boots on gravel caused Minhyuk to snap his head around to look at the source. The muscular figure of Hyunwoo stood on the path looking at the two of them with an amused grin on his face.    
  
“Kihyun wanted me to tell you two lovebirds that we are leaving in two minutes,” Hyunwoo said causing Minhyuk to grumble in annoyance as he moved to get up. “I’ll leave you alone to say your goodbyes,” he added, shooting Minhyuk a wink before walking off towards the house.    
  
The blonde knew he wouldn’t have much longer. It was never wise to keep Kihyun waiting, especially if you are relying off him for a ride home. While in college, Kihyun had once even left Hoseok on campus for taking too long, forcing the elder to walk back to their apartment. So Minhyuk had no doubts Kihyun would one day do the same to him.    
  
Holding out a hand to Jooheon, Minhyuk helped the younger up from his spot on the grass. “I wish I could stay longer but I’ll talk to you soon,” Minhyuk spoke, not letting go of Jooheon’s hand.    
  
“I’ll text you later,” Jooheon smiled, going to embrace Minhyuk. Winding his arms around the elder’s waist he buried his face in Minhyuk’s shoulder. A faint smile appeared on Minhyuk’s lips as he tightened his hold around Jooheon.    
  
“I’ll look forward to it. Besides, I’m sure you’ll be seeing me pretty soon,” Minhyuk whispered. Finally pulling away from the hug, which had lingered too long for it to be a simple farewell hug, Minhyuk exchanged quick goodbyes. Leaving Jooheon alone in his back garden, the blond went off to find Kihyun.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy ostara! i haven't a chance to reply to comments yet but thank you to everyone who left some last chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! please let me know what you think - any comments are always appreciated!!!
> 
> also, i just want to say a huge thank you to my beta!! having you this time to read through my work and give me feedback was incredibly helpful so just thank you so much for taking the time to do so!!!
> 
> hit me up on [tumblr](http://taelights.tumblr.com/) if you want!
> 
> btw the fic title is because of the b.a.p song [moondance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxe6gnIPKvs) cause it sounds kind of witchy and seeing as i always listen to b.a.p while writing it's only fitting.


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